The roughly 100 guests were given a much anticipated peek into the fiercely-guarded menu, which has been kept a secret until this week. Social media pictures quickly revealed that lemon myrtle ice cream with bush limes and fennel flowers, snow crab in fermented kangaroo, crocodile-fat shards, wattle porridge, and scallop pie with lantana flowers were among the dishes in the 10-to-12-course $485 menu.

"It was a 10/10, " said one patron.

The Noma team at work on Tuesday.
Supplied.

Noma, four times declared the best eatery in the world, is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Chef and co-owner Rene Redzepi is known for cuisine drawing on the regional landscape and culture.

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Last year, he chose Sydney for what he calls a "prolonged team-building exercise".

"I'm amazed with this city. Sydney is a high speed train. Either you jump on ... If you don't Sydney just keeps moving."

Barangaroo itself, on the western harbour of the city, was also an inspiration for the famous chef.

"The story of Barangaroo as a neighbourhood is something that entices me as a chef," Mr Redzepi said.

Noma Sydney opened its doors on Australia Day.
Supplied.

Barangaroo, a stubborn fisherwoman

"The fact that it is named after a stubborn fisherwoman and that people used to come to this area to eat mussels, shells, cockles, oysters ... it's been a big inspiration."

The Noma Sydney initiative is sponsored by Tourism Australia, Barangaroo developer Lendlease and Singapore Airlines. It took six months of designing and building, several foraging trips across Australia, and many trips back and forth from Denmark in preparation for the opening. Lendlease fitted out the restaurant and is not taking rent from Noma.

"Lendlease invested in the space and in return we launched Barangaroo's new dining precinct with the best restaurant in the world," Lendlease head of retail Gary Horwitz said.

"This is a partnership with mutual benefit. What a wonderful way to show Sydneysiders something they can be proud of and something that will put Barangaroo on the global food map."

The first day had been beyond expectations, Mr Horwitz said. "It has gone really well and there are incredible reviews and photos coming in on social media."

And the benefit for Noma? "To travel together, to learn, to explore; this is one of the best things you can do as a team," Mr Redzepi said.

But a pop-up can be a challenge and requires cutting down to the bare essentials.

"You have to be very creative ... with features that are affordable, fast, easy to change around without having to do big damage. [Noma Sydney] has been done with that sort of thinking, which is a good exercise."

Avoiding unnecessary fuss

The Noma team has instead focused avoiding the "unnecessary fuss" that sometimes envelops fine dining, Mr Redzepi said. The floor is made to look like Australia's red desert with a red ochre cement, and fits with the rammed-earth walls. All the plates come from a potter on Australia's north coast, and native flora are the centrepieces.

It's not the first time Noma has popped up somewhere new. In January 2015 the Noma team relocated to the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo for five weeks. Sydney has been no less popular, despite the price tag. Noma Sydney booked out in 90 seconds in October. There are 56 seats in total and the team will do lunch and dinner six days a week.

Mr Redzepi said a pop-up at Barangaroo was a chance to be a part of a significant development for Australia.

"You feel like something is rumbling, that there is going to be an explosion here. I am as sentimental as anybody, but I also really like to be part of something modern which is something we always struggle with in Copenhagen."

When the time is up Noma will sell or return most of the cutlery, furniture, and even the curtains it has rented or bought.

But the Noma Sydney space will not remain empty for long. Lendlease has already signed up a famous Australian chef to take up residence at the restaurant when the team heads back to Denmark. Watch this space.